Hollow Man (2000)

2 out of 4

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Shue, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, Joey Slotnick, Mary Jo Randle, Greg Grunberg, William Devane

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Time: 112 mins

Paul Verhoeven is not known for his subtlety. The Dutch director of films such as Robocop, Basic Instinct and Showgirls likes to give the audience plenty of in-your-face entertainment, so they can not possibly mistake what they are watching. Robocop had lots of slam-bang, thank-you-m'am-type action; Basic Instinct combined sexy hijinks and murder mystery thrills and chills; and Showgirls - well, Showgirls just had sex and horrendous acting. He also directed Total Recall, one of the more intelligent (and violent) sci-fi films in the last twenty years, as well as Starship Troopers, the cheesy but entertaining (and even more violent) special effects extravaganza that pitted Beverly Hills 90210 graduates against a legion of lethal space bugs. His latest, Hollow Man, continues his penchant for state-of-the-art special effects, nudity, and over-the-top gore and violence. The special effects are indeed quite stunning, though not as seamless as in Starship Troopers nor as eye-popping as in Total Recall. What's left is a sci-fi thriller-wannabe that never really generates much excitement, with an ending setpiece that involves all sorts of stupidity on the part of the good guys. I've always enjoyed Verhoeven's American films (save for the ghastly Showgirls), but Hollow Man is a disappointment.

Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) is the leader of a top-secret, government-funded research group investigating the possibility of turning humans invisible. When they perfect the process, Sebastian volunteers to be the first human subject. After he becomes invisible, he becomes increasingly hostile, and his team, including ex-lover Linda McKay (Elizabeth Shue), her current lover, Matthew Kensington (Josh Brolin), and vet Sarah Kennedy (Kim Dickens), have their hands full keeping a tab on him. Soon they are all on the run, as Sebastian's violent tendencies put all of their lives in danger.

Verhoeven has never shied away from blood and guts, from Basic Instinct's ice pick killings to Starship Trooper's many decapitations. Hollow Man happily maintains the tradition, with a shocking opening sequence where a lab rat meets a ghastly end, and a multitude of grisly facial and abdominal injuries suffered by the humans later in the film. The special effects are striking, of course, with some riveting transformations showing muscles and veins forming out of nothing. But special effects do not a movie make (one need go no further than Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace for the truth in this statement), and Hollow Man has little else to show besides its computer-generated pyrotechnics. The story is hollow, and the characters even emptier. What science there is is never explained satisfactorily, or even attempted. The thriller elements are surprisingly bland, with a woman's fate after Sebastian enters her apartment handily forgotten, and a lengthy climax that recalls parts 2 and 3 of the Alien series. And the visceral excitement and biting social commentary that Verhoeven is known for (especially in Robocop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers) is all but absent, making the whole film lacklustre.

Kevin Bacon has always been better at playing the shady character in his career, and his Sebastian Caine is no exception. Cocky, conceited, and confident, we are quite convinced early on that he can be violent. His face is not on screen much, of course, but Bacon shows his versatility with a creepy performance. His co-stars are less successful, however. Shue phones in her performance, while Brolin struts around unconvincingly as a scientist. Supporting players such as Joey Slotnick and William Devane are almost unnoticed in minor roles.

Hollow Man is one of the few genuine, special effects-laden movies to come out this current North American summer season (with the likes of The Perfect Storm and X-Men). The effects are enough to hold your attention against the thrill-less story and generally numb characters, but director Verhoeven has ultimately failed to live up to his previous work. A nice try, Paul, but many of us know you can do better.

(c) Joe Wong (26 August 2000)